ABB & Northvolt expand partnership to recycling
ABB and Northvolt are expanding their long-standing collaboration. ABB has been providing electrification and automation technology for the Northvolt Ett battery cell factory in Skellefteå, Sweden, since 2017, which started operation in early 2022.
The partnership will now also include battery recycling in the future: ABB will supply the process electrification for the operation of the Revolt Ett recycling plant, which Northvolt is also building in Skellefteå and which, as reported, will recycle 125,000 tonnes of used batteries and waste from battery production annually in the final stage of expansion.
According to the Swedish-Swiss industrial group, the order from Northvolt was already booked in the first quarter of 2023. Specifically, ABB says it will supply switchgear and frequency converters for Revolt Ett “match the speed of the processes taking place in the factory, ramping power up and down as required, saving energy, improving performance and lowering maintenance”.
“Batteries are a critical technology within the energy transition,” said Emma Nehrenheim, Chief Environmental Officer at Northvolt. “But with massive growth in battery demand, it is critical that we secure solutions to recycle batteries and ensure reliable, sustainable supply of critical minerals. This new facility Revolt Ett will help us achieve both of these goals as we work towards our mission of building the world’s greenest battery.”
ABB also writes that as increasing numbers of batteries in the market reach the end of their life cycle, the recycling process “via Revolt Ett’s battery materials recovery and hydrometallurgical processes is set to supply up to 50 per cent of Northvolt Ett’s raw material needs for lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese by 2030″. Northvolt has previously stated that it aims to have a production capacity of 150 GWh per year in total, across its operations in Sweden and Germany.
“This is ABB’s first order within the strategically important battery recycling segment,” commented Staffan Södergård, Business Unit Manager, Battery Manufacturing, Process Industries, ABB. “In conjunction with a trusted partner in Northvolt, this project offers us the opportunity to help our customers avoid carbon emissions, reuse material and protect critical supply chains. We look forward to its progress.”
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